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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

My Great Debate

I can't believe I'm even going to POST this, let alone the fact that I've been THINKING about this. I have seriously been considering Homeschooling my kids!! I know, I know, it's crazy! Growing up I thought homeschool was the most awful thing EVER. The only kids I knew that were homeschooled were brilliant, but were social outcasts with NO social skills what so ever. I thought, "I will NEVER homeschool my own kids! How can anyone do that to them!?" So, why, you ask am I even thinking about it? Well, first off, when we moved here 4 years ago I met two families in our ward that have homeschooled children that are absolutely, socially NORMAL! There is hope! I absolutely HATE what the No child left behind act has done to public school. We can't afford private school. The local charter school has the most polar opposite reviews EVER. I have talked to people who rant and rave about how great it is, and others who rant and rave about how awful it is. I don't see that as much of an option anymore. So, here is my own personal debate outlined for you. If you are so inclined, leave your opinion.

10 things about Homeschool:

1. I definitely have the skills, training, and brains to homeschool my children and give them a great education.

2. Will I have the dedication and patience needed to give the kids a good education?

3. How will it all work with 2 non-school age kids right now?

4. Homeschooling will ensure that I can give them the more rounded education I want for them with lots of music, and science, and other things that have been pushed aside in the public school system.

5. I would enroll them in other social activities like organized sports, dance, play-dates, and such to give them the social experiences they need

6. I have a very good friend/mentor that homeschools her kids that will be an invaluable resource and help to me as I get going.

7. I have another friend with kids the same ages as mine that will be homeschooling her oldest next year because she doesn't like the public school system. She will be there for support and we can each teach to our strengths and let the other fill in the gaps.

8. There is a resource put out by the public school system for homeschooling parents. It's called K12 and it's a program where you get all your lesson plans from the website and once a week you have a conference with a public teacher to make sure your kids are staying on track and not falling behind.

9. Homeschooling will help keep the outside influences I don't appreciate further at bay.

10. I can always decide to put her in school if I don't feel it's right anymore.

10 things about Public School:

1. It's easier on my time and patience.

2. I HATE, absolutely HATE what the No Child Left Behind Act is doing to the school system. I hope Obama gets rid of it soon!

3. They learn to deal with all kinds of people at an early age. This has good and bad aspects which I'm sure you are already aware of.

4. I don't like how lop-sided public education has become. I want my kids to have a more well-rounded education.

5. I have no control over what is taught to my kids either by teachers or other kids.

6. Kids tend to love school in the early years.

7. All the friends they make in school.

8. I would have to apply for a boundary exception because there is NO way I'm sending my kids to the ghetto school they are SUPPOSED to go to.

9. The school I would apply for is the best in the district and other families in the ward take their kids there.

10. I can always pull the kids out if I don't feel it's right for them.

So there you have part of my own personal debate. I really don't know what I'll do yet. Both sides have great advantages and great disadvantages. Who knows if I'll really have decided when school DOES start next year. I may just end up going with public school to see how it goes. I don't know. I hope you all can sense this dilemma I feel. My friends that are homeschooling make me excited to try it for myself. Public school appeals because I don't have the responsibility all on my shoulders. *Sigh* One day I'll make up my mind!!

6 comments:

it would be a lot of work but i think it would be worth it. I knew a lady at church growing up who had lots of kids and homeschooled them, one thing i noticed about that is some of the kids weren't up to par on there reading and writing skills which i think was not good and i also noticed that they were a lot more shy then us public school goers. You just have to have a lot of patience and persistence. Get them on a strict schedule and see how things go. With your younger kids you could probably try and involve them in other activities while you are teaching the one so that they don't feel neglected. Anyways those are my thoughts, good luck either way!

You know me and can probibly already know what I would say. I say stick with public schools. I was really woried about it all when James went to kindergarten but I now see how much he has grown along with Matthew and Kaycee. (knowledge and social) I know I could never teacher them like a school teacher does and I KNOW I deffanitly dont have the patiance. One thing deffanitly going for you is you DO have the patiance and skill.

Good luck with the dessiotion. Remember you have the rest of this school year to decide

Wow, tough decision. I know how you feel though. We converted our basement into a preschool, so that I could see teach Lily from home. We have always planned on sending her to public school, but I have my concerns about it. One is definitely the concern about what our kids will learn from other kids that we don't want them to learn. On the other hand though, we are hoping that we will give our kids (even at a young age) the tools they need to be a good example to those around them. Having kids in school provides lots of missionary opportunities that may not be presented if they are at home. I already wish that Lily was going to preschool because she so badly wants to be around other kids. I know that I could enroll her in more classes but it gets pricey. Also, I 'm not sure that I would have enough patience with my kids if they were home ALL the time. However, I think there is a lot to be said about a well rounded education. I absolutely agree that 'No Child Left Behind' needs to go. I too hate what it has done to the school system. I think there are pros and cons to both sides. It will just end up coming down to what is best for your family. Like I said before we are planning on sending our kids to public school or a charter school, but if we start to feel like it is not best for them and they would do better at home, I would home school in a second. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

My sister went through this and is going through this again right now.

She took her kids out of public school and they are currently at a charter school. She is taking them out. She didn't like public schools for many reasons but is the grass REALLY greener on the other side?

I will tell you the same thing I told her. You are a mom so that you can make up for what schools don't do. I don't agree totally with public schools...but I agree with some of it.

I wouldn't home school but that is just me...I have 4 years before I have to even think about it.

I love the school that my daughter attends they have a great reading program, music and science. They challenge her in ways I would have never thought of.

I have never even pondered home schooling for my kids. I want them to be prepared for the time when they have to be in a world with other people of differnt races, religions, culture backgrounds etc. Things I cannot teach from a book. I believe that as we teach our children morals and the gospel in our homes and then send them to school to make the choices then they are tested on the things they have been taught at home.

I am not against no child left behind, but I am not completely for it either. It needs to be on a state by state basis. I believe it pushes schools to a higher standard sometimes not a realistic one. Some schools even good ones fail for little things like atendance and other little things that are out of their control. Also home schooling I believe you will still have to take the test to see if you pass No child left behind. So it still affects you either way.

I am for both public and charter schools(Jeff teaches at a charter), but with charter you want to make sure that the charter that the school stands for is what you want for your kids.

Well this is only my opinion, but I hope it helps. So you are aware that is you decide to go public schools and need to do a boundary change that needs to be done by Febuary or March I can't remember which. You can contact the school or school district to see when.

P.S. My kids probably also learn better because it isn't Mom being the teacher.

About Us

She's a stay-at-home, homeschool mom of 4 kids. She loves reading, listening to music, playing board games, and hanging out with family and friends.
He works at Teleperformance and is going to school at the OWATC to get into graphic design.